Improvement in swings



H. J. BLAKESLEE. SWING. No. 171,969. Paume. Jan.114,1a7s.

-UNITED STA'rEs 4Param' OFFICE.

. HOMER J. BLAKESLEE, OF CONCORD TOWNSHIP, ERIE; COUNTY, PA.

lIMFRovEMl-:N'lf IN swmes.

Specification forming Apart of Letters PatentA No. 171,969, dated January 11, 1876; application filed April 7, 187 5.

To4 all whom it 'may concern:

' Be it known that I, HOMER J. BLAKEsLEE, of Concord township, Erie county, Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Swings, of which the following is aY specification The object of my invention is the production of a swing which shall be strong and durable, and can be operated easily and comfortably by the swingers while seated in the swing 5 and my invention therein consists, first, in the peculiar construction ofthe frame for the swing; second, in the manner of lhanging the propelling-ropes; third, in the peculiar means for propelling the swing, all as more fully hereinafter explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to make my device, [now proceed to describe the same in connection with the drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinalsection, and Fig. 2 an end elevation. y y

Like letters denote similar parts in each figure. A

G represents two uprights, driven into the ground or set into vany suitable frame-work. The uprights are connected at their tops by one or more cross-pieces, G1. Two pieces, G2, are connected one on the inside of each ofthe uprights Gat their tops a, and extend down, inclining toward each other to a point about half-way between the tops and bottoms ot' the uprights, where they meet and are properly connected. The pieces G2 may have their tops enlarged i'nto a head, b, forming shoulders which rest upon the tops of the post and su pport the said pieces. These pieces G2 also rigidly connect the uprights G, and the crosspieces G1 can be dispensed with. On the lower end of each of the pieces G2 is xed a metallic eye, K. Two guys, H, are secured to each upright, on opposite sides thereof, at any suitable point, preferably made of iron rods, having attached to their ends short chains I, which are passed through posts J set firmly in the ground, and held atany desired tension by means of grab hooks or toggles inserted through the links of the chain. To each upright G, on theinside thereof, is secured a metallic socket plate or eye, F, preferably about half the distance between the lower point of -the pieces G2 and the top a of theA uprights. It is, however, necessary that these sockets should be secured at a point above the eyes K on the pieces G2, the purpose of which I shal-l explain hereinafter. The carriage to this swing is composed ot' two seats, A, turned so as to face each other, and connected by a circular bottom, B. The four corners of this carriage are provided with eyes c, which are secured to rods C, which rods at their upper ends connect by hooks with the sockets F. A short distance above the carriage are secured two bars, D, the rods C being jointed for that purpose, -as shown at e.

In the bars D are journaled, by their ends, two rollers, E, placed close together above the center ofthe carriage. These bars D, besides affording a rigid support for the rollers, also brace the rods C apart at this point so as to make them rise nearly perpendicular from the carriage to the bars D,V and from thence to the sockets F on a correspondiugly-increased incline. This is very essentialin a swing of my construction, where the rods that support the carriage are short, and if not braced out would come too near together to allow of easy access to the carriage. From each socket K is suspended two propelling-ropes, L., which extend down between the rollers E and have their,

lower ends free.

Theoperation of my swing is as follows: The

person, being seated in the carriage, grasps the propelling-ropes. As the propellers are attached at a point lower than the connection of the rods C, when the swing is moved out ot' a vertical position the propellers are drawn up between the rollers, and any weight or power brought to bear on the lower end of the propellers will tend to bring the swing back to its normal position with more force than the same weight it' placed upon the carriage. The

rollers can be dispensed with, and the swing Having thusdescribed my invention, and explained some of its advantages, what I claim,

and downwardly-projecting pieces G2, stayed 0r otherwise secured, substantially as det scribed and shown.

2. A swing, hung at its four corners, in combination with the propelling-ropes L, secured tothe frame and pendant from a point over the center ofsaid swing when in a state of rest, substantially as described and shown.

3. The combination, with the uprights G and downwardly projecting pieces G2, of a swing, hungvat a point higher than the lower end 0f the pieces G2, and the propelling-ropes.

L secured to the lower end ot' said pieces G2, substantially as described and shown.

4. lThe combination, with the uprights G and V'downwardly-proiecting pieces G?, of a. swing hung at a point higher than the lower end of the pieces G2, the propelling-ropesL secured to the lower end of said pieces G2, and the rollers E, substantially as described land. shown.

HOMER J. BLAKESLEE. 

